Combined clip and implement holder



Aug. 23, 1966 BROWN ET AL 3,267,536

COMBINED cm? AND IMPLEMENT HOLDER Filed June 14, 1965 FIG. 2

INVENTORS M/MV/A 0, BROWN CARTER A TOM/BIN BY W TTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,267,536 COMBINED CLIP AND IMPLEMENT HOLDER Marvin D. Brown,Great Neck, and Carter Towbin, Riverdale, N.Y., assignors to B and RAssociates, New York N.Y. afirm Filed June 14, 1965, Ser. No. 463,701

3 Claims. (Cl. 24-49) The present invention relates to key assemblies.In particular, the present invention relates to assemblies which areadapted to be worn on ones person.

As is well known, it is quite common for the average person, at one timeor another, to lose a key. It is, therefore, one of the primary objectsof the present invention to provide an assembly which can be carriedab'outonones person and which will greatly reduce the possibility ofloss of an important key such as a car key, a house key, or the like. i

More particularly, the objects of the present invention include theprovision of an assembly which is necessarily carried about in such away that loss of the assembly is highly unlikely.

Also, the objects of the present invention include the provision of anassembly of this type which includes a key and which accommodates thekey in such a way that the presence of the key is not obvious to thecasual observer.

It is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide anassembly of the above type which is exceedingly simple and inexpensiveand which is capable of performing its intended function in a highlyreliable manner.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide anassembly capable of adapting a key to a conventional article which isworn on the person, so that no special manufacturing costs are involvedin connection with the latter article, and only the key unit of theassembly of the invention is constructed in a special way so as to adaptitself to the conventional article.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide an assembly ofthe above type which renders the key readily removable from the assemblywhen it is desired to use the key as well as readily replaceable back inits position in the assembly after the key has been used.

Primarily, the structure of the present invention includes aconventional tie clasp having a front bar portion which is adapted toextend across the front of a tie when the tie clasp is worn. Inaccordance with the present invention, a key is situated behind thefront bar portion of the tie clasp so that the key is for the most parthidden from view, and a means is provided for releasably mounting thekey on the front bar portion of the tie clasp.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings which form part of the application and in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one possible embodiment of anassembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 1 with all of thecomponents of the assembly of the invention assembled together.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the structure ofFIG. 2 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective illustration of another embodimentof a key unit of the assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the structure of FIG. 4 takenalong line 5-5 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the assembly illustrated therein includes aconventional tie clasp 12 which has a front bar portion 14 adapted toextend across the front of a tie when the tie clasp 12 is worn. Thisfront bar portion 14 has a free end 16 and an opposed curved end 18 towhich a lever 20 is pivotally connected by a pin 22. A spring 24 (FIG.2), is coiled about the pivot pin 22 and engages the bar portion 14 atits curved end 18 and the lever 20 for urging the free toothed. end 26thereof toward the free end 16 of the front bar portion 14 of the tieclasp 12.

All of the above-described structure of the tie clasp 12 isconventional, and tie clasps of this construction can be purchasedreadily.

The assembly of the present invention includes, in addition to the tieclasp 12, a key or other implement 30 which has an elongated shankportion 32 provided along its lower edge, as viewed in FIG. 1, with theteeth 34 of the key. The upper edge 36 of the key 30 is straight, andthis key is adapted to be situated behind the front bar portion 14 ofthe tie clasp 12 with the edge 36, which is coextensive with the upperfront edge of the front bar portion 14, extending along this front barportion at an elevation which situates the edge 36 at substantially thesame elevation as the upper edge of the front bar portion 14, so thatthe straight upper edge 36 of the key 30 appears to be nothing more thana part of the front bar portion 14. The key 30 is otherwise hidden fromView behind the front bar portion 14 inasmuch as the maximum width ofthe key is no greater than the maximum width of the front bar portion 14of the tie clasp.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a means isprovided for releasably mounting the key 30 on the front bar portion 14of the tie clasp 12. In the illustrated example this means takes theform of a sleeve 40 of rectangular cross section having opposed openends. The cross-sectional configuration of the hollow interior of thesleeve 40 matches that of the free end 16 of the front bar portion 14 ofthe tie clasp 12, so that the free end 16 will be received in theinterior of the sleeve 40 with a snug sliding fit, as illustrated inparticular in FIG. 3. It is to be noted that the sleeve 40 is fixedlycarried by the key 30 at its rear shank portion and is fixed in anysuitable way to an exterior side surface of the key which is directedtoward the rear surface of the front bar portion 14 when the parts areentirely assembled, so that in this way the rear wall 42 of the sleeve40 becomes situated between the key 30 and the front bar portion 14, asis also clearly apparent from FIG. 3. In addition, it is to 'be notedthat the sleeve 40 extends to an elevation somewhat higher than theupper edge 36 of the key 30, so that this upper edge 36 will be veryclose to the same elevation as the upper edge of the front bar portion14 of the tie clasp.

All of the parts referred to above may be made of metal, and the sleeve40 can be fixed to the key 36 in any well known manner as through asuitable adhesive, by welding, riveting, etc.

It is not essential that the sleeve 40 be fixed in its entirety to thekey 30 at one side thereof so that the entire key 30 is situated outsideof the sleeve 40. Thus, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a construction where the rearshank portion of the key 30 extends into the interior of a sleeve 59which is of a somewhat larger cross-sectional size than the sleeve 40.In this case, the rear surface of the rear shank portion of the key 30is fixed to an inner side surface of the sleeve 50. The opening 52 inthe interior of the key 50 is in this case of such a size andconfiguration that it will receive not only the rear shank portion ofthe key 30 but also the free end 16 of the front bar portion 14 of thetie clasp, so that with this construction the connecting means 50completely surrounds both the key and the end 16 of the tie clasp front3 bar 14. Also, the key is situated directly next to the bar 14.

When the above-described assembly 10 of the invention is carried abouton the person, the casual observer is completely unaware of the factthat the 'assembly includes a key. The front exposed face of the sleeve40 or the sleeve 50 can be decoratively marked so that it will harmonizewith the front exposed surface of the bar 14 f the tie clasp. Wheneverthe wearer of the assembly wishes to use the key he need only actuatethe lever 20 in the same way as when releasing the tie clasp, and thekey can immediately he slipped off from the tie clasp so as to be usedeither in the ingnition switch of a car, to open the lock of a house, orfor any other important lock for which the key is designed. After use,the key can be quickly and easily returned to its position behind thefront bar 14 of the tie clasp 12. Thus, if it should happen that thewear of the assembly of the invention forgets a key, a 'spare key willalways be available while at the same time it occupies very little spaceand forms an unobvious part of an assembly which in any event is worn onthe person.

It is to be noted that the security of the mounting of the key on thetie clasp is enhanced by the spring pressure which urges the toothed end26 of the lever 20 toward the end 16 of the bar 14. This pressure causesthe free end 26 to act through the tie on the key 30 itself to hold thelatter in frictional engagement with the front bar 14, so that a verysecure mounting of the key is achieved.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail withrelation to a key assembly, by way of illustration and example forpurposes of clarity and understanding, it is understood that certainchanges and modifications may be made within the spirit of the inventionand scope of the appended claims. Obviously, any other implement may besubstituted for the key.

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly, adapted to be carried about on ones person, comprising atie clasp having a front bar portion adapted to extend across the frontof a tie when the tie clasp is worn, said tie clasp having a rear leverpivotally connected to said front bar portion and a spring urging a freeend of said lever toward a free end of said front bar portion, anelongated key situated between said lever and front bar portion andhaving a free end situated between said free end of said lever and saidfree end of said front bar portion so that the force of said springurging said free end of said lever toward said free end of said frontbar portion will urge said key toward said front bar portion, said keyfixedly carrying, at said free end thereof, a sleeve member whichslidably receives in its interior the free end of said front bar portionof said tie clasp.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 and wherein said sleeve membersurrounds both said key and said front bar portion at said free endsthereof when said key is situated behind said front bar portion of saidtie clasp.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 1 and wherein said sleeve is fixed toan exterior surface of said key completely outside of the latter and hasa wall portion situated between said free end of said key and said freeend of said front bar portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,981,740 11/1934Mix 2449 2,226,969 12/1940 DOnofrio.

2,506,481 5/1950 Bagnall 24-49 2,528,527 11/1950 Lavanish 2449 2,694,92111/ 1954 Kerner.

2,737,698 3/1956 Falk 24-49 2,887,747 5/1959 Bellman 2449 3,077,8922/1963 Carruth 2449 X WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

D. GRIFFIN, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN ASSEMBLY, ADAPTED TO BE CARRIED ABOUT ON ONE''S PERSON, COMPRISINGA TIE CLASP HAVING A FRONT BAR PORTION ADAPTED TO EXTEND ACROSS THEFRONT OF A TIE WHEN THE TIE CLASP IS WORN, SAID TIE CLASP HAVING A REARLEVER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FRONT BAR PORTION AND A SPRING URGINGA FREE END OF SAID LEVER TOWARD A FREE END OF SAID FRONT BAR PORTION, ANELONGATED KEY SITUATED BETWEEN SAID LEVER AND FRONT BAR PORTION ANDHAVING A FREE END SITUATED BETWEEN SAID FREE END OF SAID LEVER AND SAIDFREE END OF SAID FRONT BAR PORTION SO THAT THE FORCE OF SAID SPRINGURGING SAID FREE END OF SAID LEVER TOWARD SAID FREE END OF SAID FRONTBAR PORTION WILL URGE SAID KEY TOWARD SAID FRONT BAR PORTION, SAID KEYFIXEDLY CARRYING, AT SAID FREE END THEREOF, A SLEEVE MEMBER WHICHSLIDABLY RECEIVES IN ITS INTERIOR THE FREE END OF SAID FRONT BARPORTIONS OF SAID TIE CLASP.